I have been working for myself for quite a while now writing resumes and cover letters for my wonderful clients. As such, there aren’t many times when I find myself wondering what it would be like working for a boss or having supervisor. In a way, my clients are my boss, but of course the dynamic is a bit different.
While not involved in a Christmas job search, I did received a request from a recruiter to interview for a position with The Jolly One himself:
Kris Kringle …
Ol’ St. Nick …
Santa Claus …
I was pretty excited at first, but I had to remember to take my own advice and weight long-term pros and cons, as well as do my research before jumping in. Because while I am sure working in Mr. Kringle’s employ has its advantages, there are definitely downsides I would need to consider if accepting a position with Father Christmas.
There are a number of good reasons to accept the interview request from Mr. Claus. First, unless they are really, really good at keeping dirty laundry in-house, Santa’s Workshop seems to be an environment filled with positivity and employees happy with their jobs. Santa’s elves are famous for their commitment to the task and being in good spirits while getting the boss ready for his annual run. When it comes to job security, you don’t have to worry about The North Pole plant eventually being closed down due to competition because, well, Santa Inc. doesn’t have any. A job with The Big Guy seems like it can be as secure as they come.
Let’s not talk even about if you are lucky enough to get a position in R&D. Can you imagine being able to dream up and experiment with all of the toys and gadgets? (Hint, kids: pursue STEM careers!!!) But what I really think would be the highlight of working at The North Pole is learning what goes behind the logistics of that operation. I mean, my man is delivering toys to what amounts to 2.4 billion kids within about 10 hours … IN ONE NIGHT! Don’t you want to know the interworkings of THAT supply chain??? Can you imagine the kind of business you can run and product you can deliver if you had that sort of product delivery system?
But there are some aspects of working with on Team Kringle that might not be as attractive. For instance, no competition likely means no need to reinvent yourself. As such, I would imagine the tedium of doing the same thing year after year with no end in sight can be a downer. And what about upward mobility? I consider myself a pretty career minded guy (I mean, shouldn’t your resume writer be that way?). I would like to think that at some point in my career there, that if I put in the time, I can one day call the shots and be the boss. But let’s face it, there isn’t much chance for upward mobility in an enterprise where the hierarchy goes “Mr. Claus, Mrs. Claus, elves”. Besides, CEO Claus has held this position since the 3rd century. And after 1800 years on the job, there is nothing indicating he is not good for another 1800 years. Honestly, I don’t have that kind of career patience. Besides, even if he handed the job to me, can I commit to 1800 years? I don’t think so.
But looking deeper, things get a little more suspicious. When the boss has “intel” into everyone who has been naughty or nice, you have to wonder if your electronics are being monitored. That is some Cold War type stuff I am not wanting to get into. Lastly, consider the fact that Santa Inc. provides toys for boys and girls the world over, but collects no revenue from it. Now THAT is shady. What pays for R&D, administration, materials, feed for the reindeer, etc.? I mean, is this all a front for something else? And even if it isn’t, how do I justify asking for a raise down the line?
I don’t know. The more I think about it, the more it seems like I should stick with resume writing and LinkedIn profile development.
